We already knew that Mango was going to deliver some seriously needed multitasking and background service boosts – but new screenshots of the WP7.5 expose some pretty neat features.
First off is Bing Audio – essentially a Shazam clone. Which is great! Natively integrating a great app is good design. It’s the same deal as ever – hold your phone up to the audio source, impress your friends with your innate knowledge of every song ever recorded.
Bing Vision is another clone – this time of Google Goggles. Bar codes, DVDs, book covers, text – all scannable and searchable with your device’s camera. It’s unclear if you’ll be able to do anything cool with this data beyond a Bing search (translation, please!), but again, a great tool to integrate into the OS itself.
Turn by turn Bing Maps navigation will also pop in, along with speech-to-text SMS drafting, and integrated podcast support. The latter’s always seemed like an obnoxious semi-feature to me in any device, but for those of you without hands or non-conductive fingertips, it’ll be a treat.
These aren’t tectonic plate-smashing additions, fine, but an encouraging sign that Microsoft wants to pump some great functionality into its wheezing contender. Go! Faster, young man! You can do it! Pump those legs! Hustle!
For a full rundown of Mango’s juice, take a listen to the WP Dev Podcast. [Windows Phone Secrets via BGR]
Rick
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 8:44 AMNot bad at all, but is it too little too late? I know a few people that adopted early (as did I) that have already ditched and gone back to iPhone/Android (again, as did I).
I did like the HTC Mozart and the Metro UI was nice, but ultimately all it did was make me realise how far iOS and Android have come, and how far WP7 needs to go.
Mordecai Chalk
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 9:26 AMIs this “it’s great to have things integrated into the OS” the same as the original “it’s great to finally have an internet browser integrated into the OS”.
That really didn’t work out that well for anyone in the long run.
Henry Turner
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 9:50 AMThat would be great if they don’t announce it for a July release and not actually release it until November. I’m still waiting for NoDo!